FSIN launches review of cultural centre operations

It must be deja vu all over again for the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN).
On April 29, FSIN First Vice-chief Morley Watson issued a media release stating that Ralph Morin, president of the Saskatchewan Indian Cultural Centre (SICC), has been placed on paid administrative leave pending an administrative and policy review of the organization's operations. Watson chairs the SICC board of governors.

"It came to the attention of the board that there may be administrative and process concerns so this information was immediately passed on to a lawyer who could advise us about how we should proceed," Watson stated in the release. "The board has decided to follow the recommendation from legal counsel to start a review and put the president on a paid administrative leave. SICC is within my portfolio as FSIN vice-chief and it is our duty as a board of governors to protect the interests of the institution."

The review will be done by an outside agency that has experience with management reviews, the release states. "It is crucial to put this review in the hands of an independent body so we can follow up on the issues raised with us," Watson said. "We will comment further once the review is final."

This situation is nothing new for Watson. He is chair of the board for the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies (SIIT). In January 2005 then SIIT president Joan Greyeyes was suspended from her position with pay. Four months later she was fired.

Watson also chairs the board for the First Nations University of Canada (FNUC). In February 2005, Watson suspended three members of the university's senior management and announced a forensic audit would be done. The suspensions and the handling of them led to a number of firings and resignations and concerns that the FSIN's tight reigns on the university were a threat to academic freedom. An all chiefs task force was struck in June 2005 to look into the problems at FNUC and a final report was released in November 2005, complete with recommended changes to the governance of the university. Among the recommendations made was one distancing the FSIN from FNUC operations by establishing a board with no representation on it from the FSIN executive.

The task force recommendations were scheduled to be dealt with during the FSIN legislative assembly in February, but a decision was made to instead put the matter on the agenda for the next legislative assembly to be held in Prince Albert at the end of May.

The Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada has given FNUC until June 14 to implement the changes recommended by the task force. If the university fails to meet that deadline, the university's membership in the association could be revoked.